


Vanished!

by BrownSugarC



Category: NCIS: New Orleans
Genre: Captivity, F/M, Family, Fear, Fear of Death, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-19 18:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrownSugarC/pseuds/BrownSugarC
Summary: FBI Agent Sonja Percy goes missing while on assignment.  Her former co-workers express shock, fear, surprise and wonder as the trail of her life after NCIS comes to light.  No one is more affected than her former partner Christopher LaSalle and her roommate Tammy Gregorio.





	1. Update of the Introduction

_The story is finished and edited with a few updates to the story line in chapters 1 – 9. In writing this story, I started with the facts in Chapter 4 and 6 and the rest of the story just folded around them._

_If you are reading this update, please know that I have corrected all the typos and omissions that I found.  I have had trouble with my particular copy of Word and noticed that several earlier attempts at ‘save’ did not work so I closed the document periodically this time to accomplish a ‘hard save’._

_While CBS created and owns the rights to NCIS New Orleans and the characters, they hire(ed) professional to write the scripts.  I find it difficult to believe that any of them have fallen in love with the characters as have the show’s fans and several dozen amateur writers that I have seen on various websites.  I doubt that they have lived the life of a service member or law enforcement officer or personally known those who have._

_As I read some of the stories out in the public domain, I am just amazed at the level of ‘skin’ that the writers put on to the characters and I have chosen just two of these.  One site has 306 stories just on NCIS New Orleans with a few hundred more on the other two NCIS shows.  I say, keep ‘em coming.  I know I am not the only one who loves them as I see the many comments of the other readers._

_And once again I ask us all to reach out to those men and women in uniform who lay their life on the line every day in uniform around the world or on the streets of America.  They deserve our support and understanding when the requirements become too much and the effects of PTSD not only enters their life but that of their family members and other loved ones._


	2. The Summons

“Hey LaSalle.  How was D.C.”  Okay I guess.  I learned a lot but I don’t that I could take Gibbs every day”

“So did you get to see Sonja?” 

“Yes  We saw each other almost every day for two weeks then I got a note in my box at the hotel saying that she was gone.  No good bye.  No telling me where she went and why. No personal words.  Just gone”

“You sound hurt.”  “Percy has been gone for over a year and a half.    We’re just a blip on the trail of her life.   Well we can only guess what she’s up to. I’m sure she would have said bye if she had the chance.”

_14 Months Later_

“Hey Tammy.”  “Yes Pride” “You need to go to the SCIF.  You have a secure call from Isler”

“Isler?”  “We haven’t heard from him for almost two years.  Can’t imagine what he would want from me.  Do you have any idea?”  “Tammy, that why we have secure calls.  Go!”

The screen comes up and Isler appears.

“Good morning Agent Gregorio.  Hope you’re well”  “Yes, life’s going fine.  What do you need from me?”  “I have some news and it’s classified.  You cannot disclose it to anyone not even Pride”.  “Well you have my attention now”

“I have some bad news.  Sonja Percy is Missing” “Missing?”  “Yes, she disappeared somewhere in Egypt.”

“I know that’s bad but why are you contacting me when she has family.” “ Because she left a note for me and asked me to contact you.” “Why?” “Well, I’m not sure how to say this.  Sonja has a young son. She wants you to care for him”  “A baby?  Sonja?”  “Yes” “What about his father?” 

“I don’t know who his father is.  You will need to come and get him and pick up the custody papers:”

“Oh boy.  I don’t know how to explain this Pride so I can ask for leave.”

“Just leave that up to me Tammy”

“Okay.  I’ll see you as soon as I can”  “And Tammy.  Remember the rest of the conversation is classified”

“Everything okay Tammy?” “No, not really Pride but you can expect a call from the FBI later.  That’s all I can say right now”

“Hey Gregorio.  What’s up?  You were in there a long time”

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you LaSalle.  It’s classified”


	3. Meeting Liam

“Good morning Agent Gregorio.”  “Good morning Assistant Director”  Thanks for coming so quickly Tammy.”  “Where’s the baby?”  “He’s downstairs with his nanny.  I thought that you might want to do the paper work first.  Why don’t we start with this letter?

I warmly remember Sonja as I read her hand written note

_“Dear Tammy._

_If you are reading this, you must be here to get Liam.  I want you to take him to his father.  I never told Liam’s father that I was pregnant or that I had given birth to his son.  Why you you are asking? Because I know that you care about me and will help Liam’s father deal with both his new found son and my death._

_Also enclosed in this envelope is Liam’s birth certificate.  Please do not judge me.  I did what I thought was best.  I can’t even begin to know what Chris”” oh my God” and I stop. “will do once he knows about the baby.  He does favor him and has his smile.  Once he takes the blood test it will confirm that this child is indeed his._

_Thank you Tammy.  I’m  sorry to lay this on you but I know that I can trust you.”_

_Sonja_

Oh my God is all I can think.  I am speechless.

Next I pick up the folder with the paperwork as another man enters the office.  “Tammy this is Douglas Mc Donald, Liam’s advocate.” “Doug, this is Agent Tammy Gregorio.”

“Well, Agent Gregorio I am sad to meet you under these conditions but pleased to say that Sonja was right in taking steps to protect her son and his father’s rights.  However I do not envy you in having to disclose all this to him.”

“First, here’s the birth certificate.  As you will note, Ms. Percy identified the child’s father as a man named Christopher LaSalle.  This document states that you know the man personally and will deliver the child to Mr. LaSalle.”

“Please sign here and initial here.”

“Second, here is a letter for Mr. LaSalle.”

“Third, here is a court order allowing me as the child’s advocate to deliver Liam into your temporary custody not to exceed 72 hours.  You need to sign here and initial here.”

“Next, here is a debit card.  I checked the bank account again before I came over and confirmed that it has $10k in it.  Her Will will be read at a later date as required by law and the rest of the estate will be conveyed then.

Lastly, here is a copy of Ms. Percy’s will.  When the proper time comes, Ms. Percy’s nearest adult relative will need to file it in a D. C. court.  I have been paid to assist the individual with that.

Looks like you’re done with the paper work Isler says as he peeks through door.  Here is the nanny. He motions for her to enter.  There is another man carrying a child car seat.  I meet Liam Christopher LaSalle.  The nanny gives me the baby bag and as the man sits car seat under the desk.  She kisses the baby and hands him to me and leaves struggling to keep her composure.


	4. Where the Story Begins

The flight went well and I was thankful that the taxi driver helped me to carry the stuff upstairs.

I had invited LaSalle to dinner earlier in the day under the pretense of giving him tickets to the LSU/Alabama football game.  He said “okay, we’ll stop by”.  “Chris, you need to come alone.  I’ll explain later.”

There’s a knock on the door and I ran to answer it before the baby wakes up.  “Come on in LaSalle.  Take a load off.”

“Hey Tammy what’s going on?  You took off out of here like a bat out of hell.  Well something has happened.  Do you want the good news first or the bad?”

“Do the bad Tammy it will just continue on with the day that I have had plus my date was none too happy that I cancelled on her at the last minute.”

“Well Chris, I can only tell you the bare minimum.  Percy is missing.”  “What do you mean missing?”  “Just what I said.  She went off the grid on her assignment that’s all I know” “Hell Tammy”

“Then what’s the good news” and at his words as if right on cue, the baby starts to cry. “That’s a baby Tammy.”  “I know Chris, let me go get him.”  I change his diaper before we come back out.  “What baby did you steal” LaSalle jokes.  “Well Chris, this Sonja’s son.”  “Sonja has a baby?”  “So why do you have him?”  “Sonja asked me to take him to his father.”  “Why didn’t he just go get him?”

“Pick up that envelope Chris.  It might explain it better.”  “Hey little man and what’s your name?” Chris pinches his cheek as he sits back down.  “It’s Liam” I say.  “Liam Christopher LaSalle.”  “What?  This is my son?”  “I believe so Chris.  That is what Sonja told me.  Isn’t there another envelope in there?”  “Yes here it is.”

_“Dear Chris_

_He’s beautiful isn’t he?  I hope as you hold our son that you can one day find it in your heart to forgive me._

_I was just stunned to learn that I was pregnant a month after you left D.C.  Even though we were so careful after the first time, medical science does confirm that conception can occur even during the first time of unprotected sex._

_You will find photos of Liam’s birth in the apartment.  There is also a baby book and a lot of photos of him._

_My caregiver came from a highly recommended agency.  Her job has been limited to just caring for the baby.  She has done a good job so far of recording and taking photos and caring for Liam.   I have a housekeeper who comes in to clean the house and to do Liam’s laundry._

_I have tried to limit my time away from D.C. to no more than nine days at a time.  Liam is growing so fast.  There are days that I fear that he will forget me._

_I know that you have a million questions.  I have picked up the phone to call you several hundred times.  By the time my due date came, I knew it was too late to contact you.  I know that you must hate me for keeping your son away from you.  I just hope that as you look at him that you will remember that his mother once told you that she loved you very much._

_The lawyer also has a letter for my darling baby that I entrust to you to give to him when the time is right._

_I trust that you will find a loving and kind woman that can love my son and help him to grow into a fine young man like his father._

_Please never forget that this child was conceived with all the love that I have for you._

_Sonja”_

I almost miss the couch as I sit down.

“Chris I arranged for a DNA test tomorrow but I took a hair off your hat that was in my car and had Ms. Loretta do a test and it was a match.  For legal purposes Doc Wade said that you will need the test done in a lab and the doctor will have to ‘attest to the samples gathered and the rest results”.

“Oh God Tammy.  Can I hold him?”  “Of course.  Do you know how old he is?”  “Just over five months.

“Hey little fellow.  I’m your daddy.  He’s got Cade’s eyes Tammy.  Oh, he’s just beautiful.  When’s the last time he ate?”  “It’s about time.  His nanny sent some food.  I’ll get it.  I sent out for some additional formula.  The store is supposed to be here by 6:30.  His schedule is in the baby bag.”

“Are you sure it’s okay that he sleeps here Tammy?”  “Yes, I looked it up on line.  It said he could sleep in a drawer.  I thought since this packing carton was just a little bigger, it should work until we could get a crib tomorrow.”

“Do you think you want to leave him here tonight or take him home?”  “Home Tammy?  Way out there?  Plus I don’t know anything about a little baby.  Tammy I need to call momma.”

When I returned, Tammy questions me.  “What did she say?”  “She said she would get a flight out first thing tomorrow.  I hope I’m not moving too fast.  What if the test shows he’s not mine?”

“Chris the Sonja I know would not put you through this if he wasn’t yours.  Chris are you listening?”

“Oh shit Tammy.  I was so caught up in the baby I wasn’t thinking about his mother.  What about Percy.  What did Isler tell you?”

“Not much.  It’s a need to know basis now.” 

I had to get up and go to the balcony.  Manning up did not help.  There was one tear slipping down my cheek, then another, then another and soon I just lost it.  I don’t know just how long that I was out there but I heard Tammy clear her throat and turned around to see her standing with Liam in her arms.  “Chris, I need to warm up his food.  I can’t do it while holding him.”

When dinner was over, I think Liam had as much food on him as in his tummy.  I was able to get him to drink his formula out of his sippy cup just fine.

Tammy got a dry diaper on Liam and a clean sleeper and put him back into my arms.  I held on to my son for the longest time.  I could tell he was a little confused as he whimpered.  He had been torn away from everything he knew.  Tammy finally took him and put him down.

I stood up and hugged her when she came back.  I was okay until she started patting my back.  I lost it again. “I’m scared Tammy.”  “I know Christopher so am I.  I’m sure that the FBI is doing everything they can to bring Percy home.”

As I reached the door I turned to thank Tammy again.  I suddenly realized that I was going to need an infant seat. I remembered that the NOPD use to keep loaners.  I was in luck and found out that they still had some in boxes.  I gave the desk sergeant a $100 bill and one of the rookies helped me to install it in my truck.

I texted Tammy that I would pick them both up in the morning.

I arrived the next morning greeted by Tammy still in her robe with her hair standing all over her head and a screaming infant.  I was just as lost as her as to why Liam kept crying.

Finally I said “just give me all the stuff and let me get to the office with King.”

Liam was still howling when we got there a few minutes later.  I wasn’t two steps in the office when King came through the door from the kitchen.  “Well, who is this little person” he asked.  “This is my son – Liam LaSalle.”  King looked at me shocked.  “It’s a long story King.  That’s where Tammy went Monday, to get him.  Right now you can see he’s in destress. We can’t get him to quit crying.”   “Here give him to me” King says. 

“What’s going on Liam?  Are you wet?  Are you hungry?” he asked look at me.  “No he’s had four bottles since he’s been here.”  “Did you burp him good King” says patting him?  “Do what?”  “Oh you two”  he says as Tammy comes through the door.  “You have to get the gas out.  Babies swallow in air as they drink.”  Suddenly we heard a loud, gross burp accompanied by puke followed by silence.  “We had no idea King.”  “That’s okay.  It’s Liam, you said right?  Liam will be just fine as soon as we get some clean, dry clothes on him.”

King showed me how make a bottle and to feed him without the mess of the night before.  Then he showed me how to put a diaper on and warned me that it would take time to learn how to get it on right every time.

The three of us sat down at the table as King started a list of what we would need immediately.  We decided that I would go get momma at the airport and go to the hospital for the DNA test while Tammy and King went to get a diapers, a crib and high chair.

“Now tell me about the mother Chris.”  “You didn’t guess King at his complexion?  It’s Sonja.”   “Where is she?”  “They don’t know.  She disappeared in Egypt.”

So I guess you’re wondering how this happened.  It just did.  We have cared about eared about each other for a while.  After chasing her for a year, I realized maybe us being together really wasn’t a good idea.  Then when Sonja got out of jail, she realized how much she cared about me.  I put the brakes on and she got angry. Part of the reason that she left was to get away from me.

So when I was in D.C.  we talked while realizing how much we missed each other then both wondering again ‘what if’.  Then what happened.  We found ourselves in her bed and became joined at the hip until one day she just disappeared.  She left me a cryptic note and then just vanished.

Sonja left letters for Isler, Tammy and me.  Tammy didn’t know about Liam until she got there.  She was just as shocked as me to first to learn that Sonja had a child and that it was mine.

Loretta called in a favor and the head of the genetics department at the hospital is going to actually view our samples this afternoon himself.  I will have the results of the test in about 12 hours.”

“Liam has hazel eyes just like Cade and a nose like mine but we won’t have to guess after the test.

My head is swimming King.  I don’t know if I’m coming or going and I’m scared for Sonja.”  So here I go back into the ugly cry”

Tammy excuses herself taking Liam with her.

“Well, let’s change him before you leave for the airport Chris.  We’ll see you at the condo.  Hopefully I’ll remember how to assemble that bed.”


	5. Life Must Go On

I really wanted to run to momma when I saw her coming down the ramp.  She embraced me warmly with Liam stuck between us.  She patted my back and I held back the tears. I could smell her lilac water fragrance perfume that I remembered from my childhood. 

Momma took Liam from me and held him up.  Yep, this is a LaSalle all right.  Your nose, Cade’s eyes and Beau LaSalle’s ears. I put the baby in the that was in the baby bag and we all walked slowly to the baggage claim area.

I told momma everything that I knew about Liam, Sonja and her disappearance.  Momma said that it was important to make sure that my son felt safe immediately.  “Usually we don’t want to hold babies a lot because they get use to it and want to be held all the time.  In this case though, we want him to feel as secure as possible.”

While we were sitting in the waiting room, momma talked a mile a minute as Liam seemed entranced by her every word. “Turn him around son.”  “Well, okay.”  She put her finger up to her mouth and then she started talking.  Liam suddenly started crying.  “Say something Chris to let him know even though he can’t see you you’re still there.  We’ll do that four or five times an hour while he’s awake and tomorrow we’ll do it the other way with me disappearing and reappearing.  He needs to know that we are here to stay and will come back unlike his nanny who is gone forever.”

We talked all the way to the condo.  Momma thought she would be more comfortable living in the city.  While that surprised me because I knew she loved the country, she didn’t want to be isolated with a young child and also thought it would be good for Liam and I to be close together so I could run home if it was necessary.  It didn’t matter to me ‘cause where ever we went I was going to have to drag that damn gun closet with me.

King knew a realtor and called him.  He had just viewed a home and the owner was coming in to list it that afternoon.  I met the guy at house after we left the hospital.   Momma thought it was perfect.  I was a little concerned that all the bedrooms were on the first floor but I was comforted by the fact that there was a fence on all sides.  I was able to get a security firm in to install a system while the contractor was painting the unit and sanding the floors.

We were able to move in about two weeks later.  This was another time that the LaSalle money came in handy.  Momma put 50% down in cash.  I think that I had pushed it with Gregorio.  She didn’t get one night’s full sleep during the two weeks.

Liam’s room was on the north side of the house so I had his room painted a light yellow.  The social worker was very helpful as I decorated his bedroom.  She suggested that I have an overabundance of photos of Sonja with him.  Brody and King had photos of Sonja and me from her NCIS days. 

Every day we walked around the house looking at his mother’s pictures with one of us talking about her.  No one will ever know how hard it was for me.  While I refused to live in fear, my heart yearned to see her face and hear her voice again.  The not knowing was grueling for us all.  Skyping with her mother was difficult as well.  She said “Liam actually looked like a miniature Sonja.”  Grandma thought he smiled like her too.  Of course since she had raised Sonja, she could see how his mannerism matched her.  Sonja’s sister sent me some photos of them when they were children.  Once I saw the pictures I could see the resemblance too.

I was so happy that we were able to bond so quickly. I held on to him tightly.  Momma caught me one day and “Christopher, I know you love him, but you’re smothering him.  Put him down so he can skirt the furniture and crawl under stuff”   Unfortunately there would be days where I had to work 12-16 hours but I would always find a few minutes to call him on the link and talk to him.  He would cling to me for a day or two after those long duty days like he was trying to make sure that I didn’t vanish out of his life too.

My new family quickly stabilized.  The honorary aunts and uncles helped to make the house feel like a home.  The other downside outside of worrying about Sonja 24/7 was that the woman that I was seeing walked away from the whole situation.  Tammy had witness her watching Liam and I the third day he was there as I was trying to comfort him about his missing mother and him missing her.  Tammy said there was not a doubt that the words coming out of my mouth were full of love for Sonja.  “No woman could compete with that LaSalle” she said.  “I witnessed scenes just like that when I was in the Navy.  You are living the role of parent while your spouse is deployed.”  Not having served in the military, I didn’t really understand.

Several weeks later I ran into this old WAC officer who had worked with soldiers and their families during the first Gulf war  Liam had dropped a block and as she gave it back to him she assumed that I was military myself because of my close cut hair.  “No ma’am” I said. “Call me Cheryl” she said.  “His mother is missing and I’m going it alone right now until she’s comes home.”  I knew she wanted to ask more but simply said that she use to work with military families and had learned how difficult deployments were on spouses.  She asked if I minded if she prayed with us.  I was touched at the tears that she had and the words of love and concern that she expressed.  I allowed her to hug me actually relishing that I had found someone who really understood what I was going through rather than just saying words and being embarrassed by having to say them.

She gave me her business card after writing her home number on it. “Call me if you want to talk”  I had that look of doubt in my face that this stranger was sincere.  “No, I’m serious” she said as she must have read the doubt on my face.  “Call me day or night.”  The first time I called her I felt that I was imposing but she was just as gracious as the first time that we spoke.  She met momma and Liam for lunch several times and stopped by the office to meet the team.  It was only months later that I found out that she met privately with King and Tammy helping them with information that the military uses to support families of deployed personnel.

Momma got Cheryl’s own story out of her one day.  Her uncle had disappeared on the battlefield in Korea and they never recovered his body.  Momma said she got teary eyed talking about how terrible it must have been for her grandmother to send her son off to war and for him to never come back not even in a coffin.  Another cousin hung himself two years after returning from ‘Nam.  The family was worried sick when they found out he had been lost in the bush evading the ‘V.C.’ for over a week.   Fortunately his squad made it back to American held territory but the demons of war followed him home and he committed suicide.

Our household turned into a routine.  I would swing by the house some days for a quick lunch with my son.  A couple of times Tammy surprised me and stopped by to get Liam and momma and we would have lunch on the patio or upstairs in the conference room.  Liam enjoyed coming to the office or rather I should say the attention of being around my team mates.  We were all surprised one day when he saw a picture of our old team and responded ‘momma’ when Tammy pointed to Sonja.

Planning Liam’s birthday celebration was as painful as it was happy.  I worried about Sonja every hour of the day.  The government was tight lipped and told us nothing about a search or about suspicions if she was dead or alive.

I made sure that there were plenty of photos and recordings of the party.  Like all one year olds, Liam had cake all over himself and his face.  A few days later Tammy brought in Liam’s baby book updated with photos and comments covering his entire first year of life. She had reproduced many photos of Liam and Sonja and typed up quotes from Sonja in great ‘fonts’.

It was a bad day for me.  When I started crying, she said how bad she felt.  “No Tammy it doesn’t hurt, it’s comforting to know that I have this wonderful gift of a child from Sonja.  When they find her, I’ll be able to share your kindness with her.  You’ve been such a wonderful friend Tammy.  Thank you so much.”

 


	6. The Search

On the other side of world about 100 miles inside of the Sudan, Sonja Percy awakens to another beating.  There wasn’t a place on her body that didn’t hurt.  She never let on how much Sudanese Arabic that she actually knew but she understood they were calling her a bleeding pig because it was her time of the month.  It was only during these days in her cycle that she had relief from the beatings.  They determined her to be ‘unclean’ and kept away from her because touching her would make them unclean as well.

Suddenly two women appeared.  They brought in rags to help through her need.  Since the men weren’t around they had no idea of the extra things that the women brought in with them.  Sonja hid the extra food and bottled items in nooks and crannies in the cell that she could consume during the month when they nearly starved her with little food or often rotten food.

She had gathered that while they suspected she was a spy that they had their doubts because no woman in their mind could do that job and because there had been no chatter about a female agent missing.  While they finally decided that she must be someone’s wife who had been working in Egypt, they tortured her just for spite.  But when she would not break, the torture got worse.  While they poked and prodded her body, the supposed Iman who was with them would not allow them to violate her.  He reminded them that most westerners carried diseases that might kill them.

She had lost track of the days but knew she must have been there at least seven months because she had had seven periods.

The guard came back and insisted on chaining her up today.  Evidentially someone big was coming and they wanted to show how they treated the pig.  Shortly after the women left, she heard a ruckus outside.  Suddenly there was gun fire then she thought she heard what might be a helicopter.  Without warning there was an explosion the door.  As the smoke cleared armed soldiers came through the hole left by the explosions.  It wasn’t until they hollered her name that she realized they were speaking English.  “Agent Percy is that you?”  “Yes”, she mumbled trying to stand.  “I’m chained, I can’t move”.  Two of them approached her.  One stood between her and the wall while the second one smashed the chain holding her to the wall.  “Can you walk” someone asked?  “I don’t think so.  I think my leg is broken”.  “I’ll get her” someone said and suddenly picked her up bridal style.  “We got her let’s get out of here”.  They ran for what seemed like forever then suddenly there was dust flying everywhere.  Once airborne she realized that the dust was caused by a helicopter.  “We got you Agent Percy, we got you.  We’re going to get you home!”  Then she blacked out.

Sonja awakened to an array of confusion. There were lights and a lot of noise around her.  Nothing was making sense. 

“What’s going on doc?”  “I thought she was going to talk to us but she’s not conscious now”.  “The corpsman said she talked to them in the cell but I see several cuts on her head and this looks like she was hit in the head with something like a crow bar”.  “Alright, get me some scissors so we can cut her out of these rags.  We’ll need to stop the external bleeding before we take her across the hall for pictures.  God she can’t weigh more than 80 pounds.  What was she before she was captured?”  “It says 97 pounds on here”.  “Make sure we get a nutritionist to meet us at Landstuhl”.

18 hours later

“Hey Colonel.  You look like you need some rest as well.  Why don’t you go get some sack time.  She’s in her room with her team now.  I wanted you to know that her family, her repatriation team members and two more CIA operatives will be arriving at about 0500.  You know those spy guys still scare the shit out of me.”  “Me too Michael”.

 


	7. Hope Fulfilled!

“Hey everyone” King says as he descends the stairs.  We need to go to the SCIF, we have a message coming in.

When the screen comes up, there stands the Director and Isler.  “Hello everyone.  I know you have been as challenged as we have in wondering about the fate of your friend Sonja Percy.  I received a communication this morning that Navy seals were able to secure her alive.”  Everyone cheers.  “She will be flown to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.”

“The government will fly two members of her family to be there with her after she arrives.  Agent LaSalle.  I have also arranged for a seat for you on the air craft.  In speaking with the mental health practitioners there, they thought it might be good for someone who knows her business to be present.  And so you know, there will also be CIA operatives on site to be in the room most of the time.” 

“LaSalle, your recent clearance upgrade will allow you to be alone with her.  I thought that might bring both you and Agent Percy some comfort.  Just remember that you cannot disclose anything that she might say about her recent mission to anyone except those agents on site.”

“Any questions?”  “What about her son, Director” I asked.  “Well, he will not be transported.  I was able to get the CIA to agree to arrange secure communications with transmission duration of 3-4 minutes.  She will be able to see the child and talk with him while one of you are in the SCIF with him and the caregiver if needed.  Just remember that you cannot ask where she has been nor discuss anything other than the welfare of the child.  Otherwise the CIA will end the transmission immediately.”

“Agent LaSalle you’re going to need to make sure that Agent Percy is reminded of the conditions every time the screen is ready to go up.  The CIA does not play and I would hate for them to deny her the opportunity to keep in communication with her son.”

“Anything else?  I just want to add that I am happy for you all.  We all need to be prepared for her homecoming.  Agent Pride, Gregorio and LaSalle have been around captured personnel.  The recovery can be difficult and confusing for all.  She will need you all and you are going to need to prepare for it.” 

“I am sending a clinical psychologist to New Orleans tomorrow.  She will be there for about a week to work with you all.  If you want a one on one session, you are welcomed to request it. 

Agent LaSalle.  A repatriation team assigned to Agent Percy and two CIA operatives will fly with you and the family to Landstuhl and be on site until we bring Sonja back to the states.  The clinical psychologist on the team will most likely stay with her at least a year and will work you and her family while you are enroute to Germany.  We will be following the military’s guidance on helping her to normalize her psychological and behavior adjustments as she returns to society.

I make a bee-line for home as soon as we come out the SCIF.  I burst into the house yelling for momma.  “Christopher stop you’ll wake up Liam”. “I don’t care” as I pick her up and twirl her around.   “They found her momma, they found her and she’s alive.”  We both dissolve into tears and shortly I hear my son crying.  I go into Liam’s room and hold him close crying “they found your momma baby.  Your momma’s coming home!”


	8. The Reunion

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Colonel Johnson.  She is the primary care physician for Agent Percy.  She was there when they got her to the aircraft carrier and conducted the initial assessment of her body and injuries 

“I want to take the time to get to know all three of you.  You have a strong woman in there.  She has fought hard to live.  Throughout her time with me she mumbled the names Liam and Chris and I thought something about a mouse.”  In spite of the seriousness of the situation that brought a smile to my face as I witnessed the confused look on Dr. Johnson’s face.

“I think the social worker already told you about her injuries.  She’s hooked up to several machines to help her body heal.  I don’t know how responsive that she will be but one of my hopes is that hearing familiar voices will bring her closer to coming out of her unconscious state of mind.  I had asked that someone bring recordings of her child.”  LaSalle raises his hand.  “You will see how I will use them as we proceed.”

“So let’s go in.  If you feel the need to leave just do it, I won’t judge you.  I’m sorry but the CIA operative will also need to come into the room with you.  We’ll start with about ten minutes and try to let you in every hour.  Are you ready?”

“No we weren’t.”  Here was my beautiful Sonja nearly a heap of flesh.  I let her mom go to the bed ahead of me.  She couldn’t take it and immediately left the room with me and the social worker right behind her.  I pulled her into an embrace and let her cry what Percy would describe as an ‘ugly cry’.  The social worker finally caught my eye and beckoned me to let her comfort her.

This allowed me to return to Percy’s side.  I stand there and look her over from head to toe.  There were deep bruises on her face.  Her left eye had a patch over it.  We were told that her nose and several ribs were broken.  Both arms were in splints.  Her left leg was in a cast and elevated.  Her right leg had bandages wrapped around it. She had lost so much weight that she looked like a little girl.

Sonja’s sister asked them if they could wash her hair.  I thought than odd request until a few days later when I saw her combing and braiding Sonja’s hair.

I wanted to hold her hand but I was afraid that I would hurt her somehow.

We decided that we would sit in shifts so that someone was always in the room with her.  Her sister had brought a quilt from her bed and laid it on her.  I placed pictures of Liam around the room and in the bathroom where she could see them.  Tammy had packed some photos from New Orleans that I also put out.  I plugged in an I-pad and played some old recordings that I had loaded.  Sebastian had put some software on my phone that allowed us to skype on her TV.  The CIA operative frowned at that but I looked at him and sarcastically said ‘you can always pull the plug’.

We talked to her continually making sure that every hour there were at least two minutes of sound that was that of Liam babbling, trying to talk and even crying.  It was one night during a crying jag of his that brought her back to us.  “Liam” she said softly, “Liam, where’s my baby?  Liam” Her mom was at her bed immediately.  “Baby it’s momma, I’m here.  That was a recording of Liam. He’s in New Orleans with Pride.  Come on Sonja, wake up baby”. 

The nurse came in and woke me up out of a dead sleep.  “What’s wrong” I said with a great start.  “We think she’s trying to wake up Agent LaSalle.”  I could hardly get my shoes on and was nearly shouting her name as soon as I came through the door. “ Sonja its Chris.  I need you to open your eyes.  Come on City Mouse, try harder.  Come back to us please.  Your baby needs you.”  Slowly her eyes crept open just a crack.  “Come on Sonja” I repeated.  Just then her doctor burst into the room.  “Agent Percy I need you to find the light.  I know you can do it.  Open your eyes.  Do you see the light?”  “Hurts” I heard her say.  “Okay” Colonel Johnson says “open your eyes and find the light on the wall.”  She motions to the nurse to turn the overhead lights off.  “Look Sonja.  Open your eyes and look for the light.”  Finally she did.  I could see her looking around the room but not saying a word.

“You’re in the hospital Sonja. It’s momma.  Your sister is her.  Christopher is here.  We need you to wake up baby.”  Sonja continues to look around.  “Dr. Johnson I have another recording of the baby talking.”  “Why you don’t play it and turn the sound up.”  The babbling of our son fills the room.  “Liam” she whispers.  “Liam is New Orleans with Tammy and King Sonja” I tell her. “See him” she mumbles “see him.”  “We couldn’t bring him Sonja but when you’re better we’ll skype him and let you see him.  I brought some new pictures of him.  He’s really grown.”  

“Tired, so tired. Hurts, I hurt.”  “I know Agent Percy” the doctor says.  “We didn’t want to give you any more pain medication.  We were hoping that the pain would make you respond to it and wake you up.   I can give you some pain medication now that won’t make you sleepy.”  I had no idea what the doctor said to the nurse but she returned quickly with a bag of clear liquid and hung it on the rack by Sonja’s bed. 

“Agent Percy, your family is going to leave now and let you rest a little.  They will be right in the hall way and will come back in about an hour.  I want to look at you good for minute and make sure that we didn’t miss anything.  You can help me as I look and feel your body.”

We were all crying with relief as we got back into the hall.  When I could collect my thoughts I had to think about what time it was in in the states.  It was just after 2 a.m. in New Orleans.  Instead of calling, I just texted Tammy, King and Loretta that she was awake and that I would call them later.  Tammy called immediately.  “You know good and well that no one sleeps with a baby in the house. I stayed at your place tonight and just heard Liam. He’s teething and giving your mom fits.”  “She’s awake Tammy.  Sonja’s awake”.  “Oh Chris, I’m so happy”. “She kept asking about Liam”  “Look, I’m going to try to go back to sleep.  Call us at the office tomorrow.  I’ll tell your mom before I leave in the morning.  Tell Sonja I love her.” Tammy says.

I hung up and walked out the door to the patio and fell to my knees and wept.  Thank you God.  Thank you for bringing her back to us.”  I could finally breathe again.  I felt a hand on my shoulder.  It was one of the MPs in the building that had taken a liking to me.  I fell into his arms and allowed myself to finally let all that pain go.  For months I had forced myself to be strong for Sonja’s sisters and her mother and my son.  But now free of them all, I could finally weep tears of relief, fear and joy.

We all remained with Sonja as much as COL Johnson let us. She still wasn’t speaking much but her facial expressions told us a lot about her.  I would catch her following me around the room with her eyes.  Every once in a while when we were alone, I would have to wipe away leaking tears especially when talking about the baby and showing her pictures.  I talked often about Liam telling her of his exploits, his new teeth and his learning to walk.  I told her that momma had come to help me to care for him and that I bought a home in the Quarter if she wanted to come to ‘Nola with me.  I showed her photos of his bedroom where she could see pictures of the two of them in his room.  I didn’t want to make her cry but she did especially when she viewed the pictures of Liam and me together.  I could only imagine what she was thinking and feeling.

The social worker spoke with each family member for about an hour every day.  I looked at her with great surprise one day when she asked me if I was angry at Sonja.  “Angry?”  “For keeping you away from your son.”  “Oh, I think there was a time that I was but when they told me that they had found her the anger just evaporated away. When I saw her that first day I wanted to climb in that bed and change places with her.  I just want her to get strong and come home to our son.  He needs her.” 

Sonja was gaining strength and COL Johnson thought it was time for her to be moved to the States.  I learned that it was a good thing that she was one of the first to go on the medi-evac plane.  Glad because the patients are loaded onto the plane with the ones in the worse condition loaded last so that they would be the first off.  Sonja’s nurse, doctor and CIA operative were right there with her.  I was really tired of the operative but happy because I could be in the room alone with Sonja without him being present.

The plane flew Sonja directly to the army medical center in San Antonio where we met her several hours late.   Then a smaller government plane flew the eight of us into New Orleans.  We would finally get rid of the CIA agent I couldn’t stand.  Director Vance had told me that they would start the debriefing about a week after Sonja was settled in New Orleans. A SCIF was built right there on the grounds of Tulane for them to use.

The team continued to electronically contact Sonja.  The psychologist didn’t not want her over taxed with visitors.  I brought Liam to see her the first day she was there.  I was thankful for the professionals who help us during the time they were apart.  While he was initially shy around her, they played games with him sitting either behind a screen or his head covered by his blankee.  He recognized her voice and slowly his heart let him be moved physically closer to her.  Most visits ended with the three of us in her bed.  Snuggled between the two of us he began to understand that the love that was so obvious between Sonja and I included him as well.


	9. When Words Fail

The social worker asked me to come in one day for an update.  She told me that she and Sonja had talked and that she helped Sonja to decide that it was finally time for her to tell me about the conception and birth of our son.

The worker had suggested to Sonja that she stay with us and sort of interview us allowing us to be responding to her and not necessarily each other at first.  This would allow there to be less confrontation and hopefully not devolve into a blame game situation.

I took the day of the first counseling session off.  I brought Liam to see his mother for about an hour that morning then drove him home. It was another one of those days that Sonja was crying.  Liam had somehow bumped his head.  He chose to ignore his mother climbing over her to seek comfort in my lap. A minute later reassured, he shared his toy with his mother and acted like nothing had happened.  But I could see that the encounter had hurt her.

The social worker was already in the room when I arrived.

“So Chris and Sonja here we are.  I will remind us all that I have talked to you both one on one and suggested that you write down the questions that you have for the other.  I think while Sonja is rested up that we start with the hardest one first.

“No we won’t” I said as I stand up.  The doctor looked at me with shocked look.  “I’m not doing this.  This is the same woman who has saved my life countless time.  The same one who took a bullet for our team and just endured eight months in captivity.  The very same woman that I know has loved me and ran from me for years.”

Then I stand right in front of Sonja. “Sonja, I don’t know why you did what you did.  Maybe someday you will tell me.  I certainly want you to tell me about the day he was born.  I forgave you for whatever the reason was months ago.  I do know Ms. Jones that there is nothing in this world that would allow Sonja Percy to hurt me on purpose.  So we’re done here!”

I looked back at Sonja and saw her raise her hands to her face and begin to weep.  I climbed up in her bed holding her tight and rocking her.  I looked up later to see that we had been left alone.  We must have fallen asleep because I heard the nursing aid drop a pitcher of water which woke me up. 

Sonja stirred and as I went to get out of the bed, pulled me back to her and laid one, big, sloppy kiss on me.  “I love you Christopher LaSalle”. “I know Sonja.  I love you too.  Do you mind if I go so I can have dinner with Liam?  We’ll skype you when he’s done eating.”

“Okay Chris.  I’ll see you later.”

I still don’t know how Liam and his mother play patty cake over the screen, but Liam always enjoys himself.  I held him as Sonja read him a bedtime story.  Good night sweet prince.  He did not hear those last words as he lay snoring in my arms. 

Sonja and I talked in the hospital and was the second loved one that went to sleep in my arms that night.  I contemplated just staying the night but being that close to Sonja was starting to ‘bother’ me and I thought I might not want to push it.  It had been a long time since I had been intimate with a woman. 

I had gone to Percy’s condo in D. C. recently to get her stuff packed up.  I found a couple things of hers that still had the residue of her perfume.  I stopped to smell a bottle of her shampoo and it reminded me of sitting in my truck with her several years ago wondering what it would be like to be holding her on a fine summer morning during a rain storm.  Caught up in the moment I had wondered if that was lust or love that my body was responding to.  Anyway, I wasn’t going to put myself through that scenario again.


	10. The Homecoming

It seemed like forever before we finally heard the words that “you can go home next week Agent Percy.”  The social worker had met with Percy about where she wanted to go.  Percy asked in a frighten voice “Chris doesn’t want me to come home with him?”  “No Agent Percy that’s not what I am saying.  This is standard practice for me to ask a patient where they want to go when they leave our care.”  “Of course I want to go with him and my baby.  He told me he bought Liam a house and I’m Liam’s mother.”  “Alright then.  I will make a home visit with the physical therapist and we’ll see if the home is feasible and what equipment will be needed.

The therapist acted like he was dealing with an amateur.  I always assumed that Sonja would come home and live with us.  I just didn’t know when I bought the house if she would come home as my lady or just the mother of my child.  I had a fully accessible bath with a roll in shower added before we moved in.  I wasn’t going to put my mom out later on and figured that if she stayed with us after Sonja was back to being Sonja that she would enjoy the big bedroom and bath.

The vendor came in two days later and installed the hospital bed and put in hand rails around the toilet.  There was a stool in the shower and they adjusted the water so it would go on her body as she sat down.  “No,  lower”  I told them about the water flow.  “Percy is as short as a munchkin” which made the whole crew burst out in laughter.  They left a wheel chair, walker and weight machine as well.

Sonja was glad to be away from all those people.  The house was full of flowers when she got there.  Liam was the funniest.  He would run into her room, then come back to me or grandma and point encouragingly for us to come and greet Sonja again.  It took him a couple of days to realize that she was staying. 

I came home for a late lunch one day and found them asleep together her in bed.  Momma said that’s an everyday thing now. “No problem getting him to take his afternoon nap now.  He goes in to put his mother to bed every day.”  She had taped him one day patting Sonja on the chest like we pat him on the back, putting her to sleep.  It was so cute.

 


	11. Nature Takes Its Course

It had been a long stretch.  I probably had gotten 12 hours of sleep the last three days and most of that was in my truck while on a stake out with NOPD.

I rushed to get home before Liam had to go to bed.  I was able to read him a bed time story.  Once in my lap, he refused to get out so I sat there rocking him only to be gently awaken by momma.  I stood up and laid him down in his bed and walked down the hall to my room.  There I found Sonja waiting for me.  She was sitting in the big chair facing the window but heard the door squeak. 

“It’s about time Sundance.”  “Hey Sonja.  I must have fallen asleep rocking Liam. 

“It’s been a rough stretch for you hasn’t it” she said.  “Well why don’t you catch a quick shower why I go get you something to eat.”  I laughed.  “First Sonja you don’t know how to cook my food.  And second, you know that I shouldn’t be eating this late.”

The shower did feel good. 

“Tell you what I’ll just lay here with you until you doze off Chris.  I can get myself back in my chair.” 

We were laying there talking when suddenly I found myself in dream land.

We were back at the farm in Alabama.  Just as Sonja came through the door of my old bed room, the wind caught her robe and gown and she laughed as she pulled them down.  I asked “why bother when I’m going to just take them off any way?”  And so she began to entice me and just as she reached me in the bed I woke up realizing that this wasn’t a dream.  I jump back out of her reach nearly screaming “Sonja what the hell are you doing”  “Doing?  I am here in bed with my man.  I want you to make love to me Christopher.”  Creating an even farther distance I realized that my body had responded to Sonja’s very abled fingers and that I was experiencing a full on erection.  “Come on baby, did you talk this over with the doctors?  Can you even have intercourse?  And what about becoming pregnant?”  “Chris, stop.  I just want you to make love to me.”  “Sonja, we can’t do this now not without medical clearance.” 

“Let’s do it tomorrow.”  I looked at her exasperated. 

“I mean let’s get it cleared tomorrow. Now get back over here”. 

“Look Sonja, I never thought I would say this since the day we walked through the cemetery, but I think you need to sleep in your own bed tonight.”

I knew she was really angry when she refused to allow me to help her to get back into her wheel chair.  I found that she had locked her door when I went to say good bye the next morning.  I just sighed and got in my truck.

I texted Sonja about 4 p.m. that afternoon and told her King was letting us have a three day weekend.  There was no response to the text and she refused to answer my calls.  I gave up and finally left thinking I might as well go home and get the drama over with.

The first thing that I noticed when I got home was that it was quiet.  I looked for momma and then noticed that the stroller was not parked by the back door.  I went back to the kitchen to find a note from momma on the fridge saying that she and Liam were having dinner with Loretta and CJ.  CJ doted on Liam and Liam relished being with CJ as well. 

“Sonja” I call out. “Sonja are you here?”  As I start walking toward her room, I find a trail of flowers. The air smells wonderful.  The flowers lead to my bedroom.  There plopped in the middle of my bed is Sonja in the least amount of clothing she most likely could find. 

“Here”, she stated sarcastically, “here’s my doctor’s note.  I’m your new roomy like it or not.  The doctor gave me this diaphragm and these for you to use for a month.  She also stuck this damn thing in my arm.  It has a 99.8 effective rate to stop pregnancies.  So if you want to help me get this in, we can get this party started.  Oh yeah, the doctor told me to have you read this first, so go call her and come back down with these on please.”

The note was indeed from Sonja’s doctor.  She said to call her as soon as I got home.  We spoke in some detail about Sonja’s physical condition.  She assured me that limited damage was done to Sonja’s reproductive system but for me to take care in putting my full weight on her body for a while. 

I was bemused that her chief concern was for me.  “Don’t push it Agent LaSalle.  You are out of practice too.  I can pretty well predict that the first try is not going to go well.  Go slow, give it a week.  Take the time to get to know each other with your words and touch.  You’re going to allow yourself to feel holding her close now that you know you are permitted to respond.”

I should have known the doctor knew what she was talking about but I doubted her as I put the flimsy underwear on that Sonja had given me.   After the first failure, Sonja was the one comforting me.  She told me exactly what the doctor had said to me but I seemed to take the news better from Sonja than the medical expert.  Ensuing attempts went just fine and within a week we were feeling completely comfortable once again with each other.

The second Sunday morning we stayed in bed while momma and Liam went to church.  Right in the middle of ‘the thing’ in busted Liam.  I had left the door just a little cracked.  He had no idea what was going on but after that we never forgot to lock the door again.


	12. Bound Together

Momma needed to go home and thought that she would take Liam to meet his uncle Cade and her own brothers and sisters.  The house was so quiet without the boisterous little boy.  Momma said that he made as much noise as Cade and I put together.

She was gone about three days when a package arrived for me at the office.

I told Sonja that King wanted to come over and try out a new dish on us.  She cocked her head and commented “he doesn’t have to do that I can just go there.”  “Well, I lied, he wants to make sure that all the equipment in our kitchen works before the warranties expire.”

Sonja was still taking an afternoon nap with Liam so when 2 o’clock passed she was ready to pass out herself.

Tammy sneaked in the back door and sat the dining room table.  It looked every bit like a page out of a magazine. Between what Sonja had bought and Loretta had collected the room was breath taking.  I woke Sonja up by getting in the bed with her and kissing her on her neck.  “Well hello to you Sundance” she said.  “Hey let’s go out dance after dinner, we’re childless” I said. “Okay but that means we have to dress. I don’t know what’s in my closet.  Shoot, let’s do it.  Come on.”

I was careful not to let her get distracted. “ Look, momma’s gone we can do that after dinner.”  As she sat on the bed, I took out a new dress that I had bought for her.  “What’s that?”   “Oh, I just thought you deserved this for all the hard work that you have done the past year.  You know that purple use to be reserved for royals right? Well you’re my queen.”

“Hey, I asked momma if you could borrow these and she said yes.  They were her pearls that she got on her wedding day.”

I put on my best suit.  “Well look at you Country Mouse looking ever as dapper as a rich man’s son.” Sonja spouts off “I do clean up nice if I say so myself”.  “Wait a minute.”  “What?”  “What’s that smell?”  “Your dinner I would guess” I responded.

King scared the crap out her as she went to follow the source of the smell.  I was right behind her.  King out did himself and then left after he lit the ‘ _Bananas Foster’.  “_ Are you leaving Pride?” “Yeah.  I’ll be back in the morning to do the dishes.”  “You don’t have to do that, I think we can handle the dishes together.  Thank you so much Pride.  It was just wonderful” Sonja says.

I turned on Faith Hill and asked Sonja if she wanted to dance.  “I thought we were going to do that later”.  “Let’s just practice. Wait just a minute.”  With that I go to my knee before her and say “Sonja Percy I have loved you since the day you went on that tug and almost died.  I am saddened to think that my mis-steps almost cost you your life.  I should have been with you a long time ago.  I want to be with you, walk beside you, hold you and grow old with you.  Will you marry me?”  Through her tears Sonja said “yes”.  I took out my grandmother’s ring that momma had sent a few days ago from my pocket and put it on her finger.  It slipped a little and we laughed.  “I can take it to the jeweler tomorrow and have it sized baby.”  I kissed her and said “now let’s really go out.  You name the club and we’ll go there.”  “I don’t know Chris.  Somewhere more quiet.”  “Hey how about the Cafe Negril.”  We were in the club about an hour when the band returned from its first set.  The piano player said “we want to join in celebrating with Agent Chris LaSalle and his lovely lady Sonja Percy on their engagement.”  Sonja was shocked as everyone burst into applause.  As we took to the dance floor, we were soon joined by King and Rita, Doc Wade, Sebastian, Tammy, Triple P and their dates.


	13. Repaying A Debt

When I first started working at NCIS, a movement began called ‘paying it forward’.  I came home one early one afternoon only to discover that momma and Liam had gone out to lunch.  I had told Tammy to stop by on her way home to see Liam.  With him gone the two of us sat there talking with Sonja and enjoying the quiet of the missing three year old of our home.  An hour later in comes the man of the house.  Liam greeted each of us with hugs and kisses.  “Where were you?” Tammy asked “I almost missed you.”  With cereal Liam said. “Who?”  “Cereal” he repeats then turns to run to his room.

“Oh he means Cheryl” momma says.  “Who’s Cheryl” Sonja asks?  We all got quiet as we looked at each other.  “Well” Tammy finally says, “an angel.”  Sonja looks confused as momma starts to sniffle.  I speak up “yeah, that would be appropriate.” 

Sonja listens attentively as we each share our own story with about this woman starting from the first day that she saw Liam and I at the doctor’s office through her visits with the NCIS staff and her outings with momma and Liam. 

Tammy says “she created a special relationship with each of us somehow understanding how each one felt while you were away from us. She had a Masters degree in Rehab which allowed her to respect Triple P in a more understanding way than the rest of us could.  She was never embarrassed to shed a tear or to hug a neck.”  “Then she was like a walking library of life experiences” I interject.  “From her childhood, time in the military as a female pioneer, politics and single parenting.”

As we talked “I didn’t know that” often came out of our mouths to our great surprise.  We all felt special, sometimes even more favored than the others in our relationship with her.  “Well, this is someone who I need to meet” Sonja says.  I look up and say “momma, we need to make that happen.”

I called her on the spot and invited her to dinner on Friday night.  I told King the next day and he said “well you know I’m in.” He offered to cook.  “Here or at your place Chris?”  I decided at the house to give Liam free reign and us to keeping him on his bed time schedule.

We all knew her and before we sat down to eat, I noticed that Sonja was quiet.  She listened intently to the conversations going on all around her.  Later she told me that it intrigued her how easily she flowed between each of us.

I suggested that Ms. Cheryl sit by Sonja as we ate.  Talking in bed that night, Sonja said “I couldn’t believe how much that woman knew about my son and about you!  She knew when Liam got his arm caught in a toy and evidentially when the physical therapist was looking at the house to make the accommodations for me”.  Sonja never realized that it was Cheryl’s many suggestions for low tech learning for Liam including teaching him to count backwards while jumping down the stairs from the rooftop patio to the first floor that I used as a first time parent.

I understand that later on Sonja asked Ms. Cheryl “Why us?  Why my family?”  As the tears welled up in her eyes Cheryl responded “I don’t know that it had to be your family, it was just your baby and companion that I saw that day.  My heart had always been heavy for a family with a missing loved one.  My kind and loving grandmother died without ever knowing exactly what happened to her son.  She had no body to bury.  Back then we didn’t realize the depth of the pain and sorrow that families went through.  And even now, the social workers and therapist keep families at arm’s length careful not to ‘get involved’ too deeply.  I had a good idea what Agent LaSalle was going through.  As I met your family and former co-workers, I saw a pain in their hearts and souls that made me want to help.  I had no idea that two years later I would still be with them.”

One day Sonja joined her for an event that she attended for military spouses who had lost their mate in service.  Sonja came back and after she finally quit crying declared that she had found her calling.  She would go back to school for some psychological and sociology courses and work with families who had lost loved ones in the war.  It was in this volunteer effort where Sonja was able repay a debt she felt she owed to all of those who waited for her and supported her loved ones during her own captivity.

Years later at her funeral I saw Sonja trying to hold back tears as the honor guard fired their salute honoring this warrior’s service to her nation twice over.  The new director had honored Cheryl with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award for her assistance in helping the New Orleans office endure and recover from the capture of one of their team members.  Rita had herself recalled to active duty for the day so that she could present the flag and the medal to Cheryl’s family on behalf of a grateful nation.

Our daughter, Victoria, flew in to be part of the color guard that day.  Sonja had asked Ms. Cheryl one day if she had had a daughter, what would she have named her.  ‘Victoria’ (as in the queen) she responded without missing a beat.  ‘Victoria was the name of one of the greatest women who ever walked the earth’ she said. Our Victoria, with Cheryl’s support and grooming, had sought an appointment to the Air Force Academy and would graduate next spring hoping to be a fighter pilot.


	14. The Wedding

I thought it would nice for Sonja to get totally away from people for a while so we went back to Alabama to momma’s house on the creek.  Cade and I had spent many a day on the island out in the middle of it.  It was there that I first told Cade about Savannah and where momma and I talked about why I finally put the brakes on chasing Sonja.  Sonja saw me try to sneak a package into the closet.  “What’s that Country Mouse?”  “A special gift for a special day.  Don’t be so nosey.” I replied. 

We spent quite a bit of time driving around the country side often stopping to say ‘hey’ to friends of my parents who were still alive.  I had forgotten how much I loved pecans and peaches that came right off the tree.  I tried to teach Sonja how to golf to not avail.  She wasn’t even very good at miniature golf.  “Golf takes too long” she complained.

The next day I wanted to back to the links so I enticed her with a spa day which she readily agreed upon. The broken leg healed up physically okay, but arthritis set in.  Momma laugh when it became apparent that Sonja’s bones told us that rain was coming long before we saw a drop of it.

This time of the year you never know what the weather would be.  One evening the weather forecast had predicted a possible storm. About eight o’clock the wind picked up and we moved inside.  I called Sonja into the bedroom and said “stand right there.”  I gave her the box that I had tried to hide and she opened it gleefully.  Inside she found a light pink see thru night gown with a matching robe and a pair of almost nothing there underwear for me.  “Put ‘em on” I barked.  Sonja gave me the strangest look.  “Put ‘em on and I’ll be back in a minute” I say as I snatch the trunks out her hand.

As I come back into the room with the barely there trunks on Sonja says “LaSalle you never cease to amaze me, what’s this all about?”  “Go stand over there by the window I have a dream to finish.”  With doubt in her face, she went.  Suddenly a gust of wind blew through the partially opened window and caught her gown blowing it up past her face.  As she pulled it down laughing, I motioned with one finger for her to come to me on the bed.  “Now my lady help me finish my dream.”

The next morning I got up to fix us breakfast.  “Now sweetie since you were so accommodating last night I have another request.”  “Why don’t we get down to it and get our wedding planned!!!”

We held the wedding at the Le Museé de FPC.  We ended up having the rehearsal dinner there as well allowing our out of town guest the opportunity to tour the museum on Friday before the Saturday morning wedding.

We debated on having Liam in the wedding or not and made the wise choice not to.  In spite of momma making sure that he stayed on his regular schedule, he had a meltdown as we took the official photos and Ms. Cheryl had to take him into the building to cool down and get some water into him.

Sonja’s dress was a pale peach topped off with a silk pill box with blusher hat.  Pride and Cade stood up with me while Sonja’s sisters stood by her.  Unbeknownst to me, Sonja had recorded the song ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ as a tribute to me.  I tried not to cry to no avail thinking about the ups and downs since the first day we meet.  Searching for Sonja after Baitfish shot her and her time in captivity were the worse days of my life.  Knowing I was on her mind while she was being held in that hell hole had always touched my heart.

“Sonja, they say that three times is a charm.  And with this ring I also am giving you this charm bracelet.  You entered into my life at three different times.  I didn’t realize that each time I was given an opportunity to love you in a different way.  First as a friend and co-worker, then as a man and now as a companion and husband.  Besides your love, you have given me the most precious thing I could ever ask for, my son Liam.  You truly are the most bravest and strongest person that I have ever met in my life.  I am honored that you have agreed to marry me and live out the rest of my days with me as my wife.”

“Chris.  I look across to you and I see Prince Charming.  You will never know what having you in my life has meant.  During the dark days, I dreamed of returning to your loving arms.  I rejoice that I have found a man who looked past the scars of my life and most recently the physical scars that I now carry, to find someone that he could love.  I look forward to learning and growing with you and raising our son to be a man as kind and as loving as his father.”

Next we say our vows and exchange rings.

The minister pronounces us as Mr. and Mrs. Christopher LaSalle.  I see C.J. walk up and place the broom down in front of us.  I take my new bride’s arm and we jump the broom together at everyone’s delight.

Loretta had suggested that we have a ‘pull cake’ which was a big hit.  Sonja had never heard of it before but was happy to have one after learning about its meaning.  The reception was festive and full of New Orleans music.

About 90 minutes in we invited King, Rita, Tammy and Ms. Cheryl to join us to drive up to the Southeast Louisiana Veteran Cemetery.  Odd one might say on ones wedding day, but Sonja wanted to leave her bouquet at the tomb of an unknown service member honoring the Navy Seals who had rescued her and brought her home to us.  I don’t think that I had ever seen King cry, but I saw him and Rita walking back to the limo with Ms. Cheryl between them with all three of them wiping away tears.

Upon our return we sought to locate our son and took him and momma with us while leaving the rest of our guest at reception to dance the night away.

I had already packed the car and we took off for The Cumberland Falls the next morning.


	15. Reminiscences

Three years after we were married, we had a second child.  Victoria was also a boisterous child and clung surprisingly to her godmother. They had this connection I guess enhanced by the fact that Ms. Cheryl never had a daughter or a sister of her own.  She never missed a birthday or graduation ceremony and entrusted me with her Second Lieutenant bars for my daughter the summer that Victoria went off to the Air Force Academy.

Victoria excelled in math and science and Doc Wade and her godmother knew she had all the attributes of being a strong candidate for an academy appointment some day.  I heard Ms. Cheryl one day say that “this was not the time to think like a girl.” Vicky got mad at the girl next door and was telling her all about the encounter with the not so nice girl.  Ms. Cheryl told her to “ ‘man up’ and let the grudge go.  It won’t make one difference tomorrow.”  She looked back at me and saw a quizzical look on my face.  “Look Agent LaSalle, a drill sergeant don’t give a damn about what your squad mate did or didn’t do.  He just wants to know what you did to help the person so you all live through the situation.”

Liam had graduated with honors and went to LSU planning to become a State Police officer.  He really wanted to go to Grambling with a football player that he played with.  We just kind of stood back and let that situation unfold on its own with no input from us.

Victoria did get in to Air Force.  Her mother put her through her paces from the first day that she put in her application.  Sonja knew the strength that she would need to endure the physical requirements.  Lucky for her that she was built more like her uncle Cade but quick on her feet like her mother.  Sonja didn’t let up on her one bit.  While ‘Doolie Day’ and the six weeks that followed were still more shocking that she expected, she was able to enjoy the freedom of the yelling of the older cadets by running away on the track from those who would try to intimidate her.

Life was good after Sonja’s release.  While the physical therapy was difficult, it had its intended result. Aside from some facial scars and the ones on her legs, she healed nicely.   King and Ms. Cheryl were adamant that she stay in counseling to address the memories that followed her home from the Sudan.  King even transferred to her weekly support group.

Sonja cut her hours back to half time so that she could spend more time with the kids in sports in middle school. Even though she couldn’t run with the kids, she could coach telling the kids on her team how she came back from her own injuries and her early successes in sports. 

Still a crack shot, she worked with the kids in Vicky’s Jr. ROTC program coaching them to become one of the top rifle teams in the country.   Momma made sure that the homework was done and oversaw the tutors that we hired to help our two high schoolers keep on track with their advanced academic course work.

I took over the New Orleans office after King retired.  The mayor, a personal friend of Ms. Loretta’s, dangled a Division Director position at NOPD in front of me but in the end King convinced me that the additional staff and politics of being at municipal government was not worth the headache. 

As the years past by, we grew to the point where the more of our beloved friends and family started to leave us.  First my mother’s oldest brother, then Sonja’s mom, Ducky from NCIS in D.C., Isler who was shot in a courtroom in D.C. by a fleeing subject and my old partner from NOPD.  The hardest though had to be when Tammy’s little girl was hit by a car in front her school by another parent distracted by her cell phone.  Tammy was as close to Sonja and I as our blood sisters.  It was just so sad.

All and all as I stand here with my hand over my heart at the playing of ‘Taps’ at King’s burial, I know that our lives have touched and been touched by a great number of wonderful people.  I will not cry, I will not cry I tell myself.  I am so glad that I got to tell King that I loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I did cry Christopher. The Cheryl is this story is me. I cried a lot of tears the past two weeks while writing this story. My uncle George died in Korea before I was born. My thoughts of him, his mother and my own father along with his siblings stayed in my mind as I wrote the interaction between all of them. I have personally met two former POWs and respected them so. One, Ed Harris, was from my home town and I saw him periodically throughout the rest of his life. Please remember the men and women who serve our nation in uniform and those civilians who work in surveillance around the world working to keep the United States safe as well as their families.


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